Shock-absorber for search-lights.



L.- MGN'AMEE.

SHQGK ABSORBER FOR SEARCH LIGHTS. APPLICATION FILED 0C'1.25, I910.

1,600,834. Patented Aug. 15 1911.

vented certain new and useful Improvements UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LUKE MoNAMEE, or onirnn STATES NAVY.

snack-Answers m salaries-nears.

specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug. 15, 1911. Application filed October 25, 1910. Serial No. 589,082.

Toall whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LUKE MONAMEE, lieu tenant commander, Un'ted states Navy, a citizen of the United tates, at present attached to the U. S. S. Gonnectz'oui, have inin Shock-Absorbers for Search-Lights .and I do hereby 'declarethe following to be 'a full, clear, and exact'description of the in vention, such as will enable others skilled in I the art to'which'it 'appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to shock absorbers for search li'hts, and has for its object to prevent the destruction, of the lens portion or other frangible portions of said lights on board warships during gun-fire.

To these ends the invention consists in the novel details of construction and combi nations of parts more fplly hereinafter dis-' particularly pointed out in the A closed and claims. V

Referring tothe accompanying drawin s forming a part of this specification Who "2? like numerals'designatelike parts in all the views:-Figure 1 1s a side elevationalfview of a search light-made in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the parts shown in Fig. 1 with the cradle removed, Fig. 3 is an enlarged detailed sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. l; and Fig. 4 is an end View of the parts shown in Fig. 3.

As is Well known, the glass strips or lenses with which search lights are equipped are often brokenwhen exposed to the shocks and concussions incident to gun fire, and the cause of this breaking is probably due to the mechanical vibrations which are transmitted through the supports of the searchdight, as well as to the changes in pressurebetween the inside and outside air due to'the'rarefactions of the outside air accompanying the dischargeof the gun. It is probable that this latter agency is the more destructive of the two. My invention, however, by the I means now disclosed completely obviates this destructive effect, as has been abundantly proved in actual practice.

l designates the barrel of a search light of any well known construction supported in a cradle 2 on a stand 8, while 4 repre-- sents the usual strengthening band on the front end of, the barrel to which is attached flange, 8'whichis rigidlysecuredto the rear side of the band 4 as by the-screws 9. On

the long arm 6 of the guide rods'I prefer? 'ably mount a long spiral spring lOflanda' short spiral spring 11. An adjustable sleeve 12 is'also mounted on the innerpor tion of the arm 6 in order, that one end of the spring 10 may bear thereagainst, while the extreme end'of the said arm 6 is screwthreaded as at 13 to receive a nut 14 against which one end of the short spring 11 may bear. Between the springs 10 and 11 are located plates 15 provided with holes 19 through which the arms 6 pass, and these plates are securely held as by screws 16't-o the front door 17 of the search light, and.

which door carries the glass strips or lenses 18 to be protected. v

19 represents pins passing through the ends of the rods in order to prevent the butterfly nuts from jarring off and becoming Normally when the search 1i ht is in use and the guns are not being fire the butterfly nuts 14 are set u and the dooris kept closed against the arrel as indicated in dotted. lines in Fig. 3;, But when gun fire is to take place, the butterfly nuts are slacked off thereby permitting the door under the influence of the springs 10 to be forced outward and away from the barrel for the space of say half an inch or an inch, as indicated in full lines in Figs. 1 and. 3

When the door has been thus opened, and

gun fire takes place, the shocks that are mechanically transmitted through the supports of the search light are absorbed by the springs 10 and .11, and therefore the lenses or strips 18 are protected from such shocks.

On the other hand, while the door is open, there is a free communication between the inside and the outside air, and therefore any rarefactions or condensations which occur onthe outside of the search light, due to gun fire, will likewise occur on the inside of said search light, and therefore the frangible portions of the said search light will be sub ected to like strains and stresses from within as well as from without, so that all danger of' breakage from this latter cause is obviated.

Asabove stated, actual tests of this invention on board war-vessels hasproved that search lights equipped therewith will remain uninjured during. heavy gun fire.

- It is obvious that those skilled in the art.

may vary the details of construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of my invention and therefore =I do not wish to be limited to such' features except as may be required by the claims.

What I claim is '1. In a search light provided with a'body portion, the combination of a door provided with a frangible part and a plurality of springs adapted to hold said door out ofcontact with said body portion, to permit the pressure on each side of said door to be equalized for absorbing the shocks incident to gun fire, substantially as described.

' 2. In a search light provided with a bodyportion, the combination of a door provided with a frangible ,part, a spring cushioning .means coacting with said door adapted to hold it out of contactwith said body por-.

tion to permit the pressure on each side of said door to be equalized, and adapted to absorb the shocks incident to gun fire; and means for adjusting the compression of said cushioning means and thereby preventing said frangible part from being destroyed, sub- 'stantially as described.

3. In a' search light provided with "a' body portion, the combination of a doorprovided with a frangible part; a plurality of supports having coiled springs adapted to hold said door out of contact with said body portion,-to permit the pressure on each side of said door to be equalized and adapted to door and the said body portion; a plurality of springs mounted on the outside of'said door, all of the said springs adapted to absorb the shock incident to gun fire; and means adapted to adjust the tension of all Copies of this patent may be obtained for of said springs and thereby permit the doorv to be opened or closed, substantially as described.

5. In 'a search light having a casing the combination'of a door provided with a frangible part; a rod mounted onsaid casing; a plurality of springs mounted on said rod; and connections between said rod, springs and door, whereby the pressure on each side of said door may be equalized during the shocks incident to gun fire, substantially as described. 6. In a search light having a casing the combination of a door provided with a frangible part; a plurality of rods mounted on said casing; a plurality of springsmo'unted on each rod; connections between said door, springs and rods whereby the pressure on each side of the said door may be equalized during the shocks incident togun fire; and

. adjusting-means for regulating said springs and for opening and closing said door, substantially as described.

' 7. Ina shock absorber for search lights, the combination of a barrel; a plurality of rods mounted on said barrel; a door mounted on said rods; a plurality of springs .mounted on each rod; connections carried by said door located between said springs on each rod; and a nut on the end of each rod to regulate said springs, whereby the 'mechanically transmitted shocks may be absorbed by said springs and the latter may,

force open said door to permit equal pressures inside and outside of said barrel, substantially as described.

door provided with a frangible part; and ad ustable sprlng actuated means for pro- '85 8. In a Searchlight the combination-of a riding an air gap for equalizing the atmospheric pressure on both sides of said door during gun fire; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I atlix my signature,

in presence of two witnesses.

' f LUKE'McNAMEE.

Witnesses: i

E. WILKINSON, B. H. DAILEY.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner 'of'Patents, Washington, D. 0.. 

